The present invention is especially designed for use as a latch assembly to hold aircraft baggage containers in position upon the baggage trailers employed to transfer the containers between the aircraft and the baggage handling rooms of an aircraft terminal. Baggage containers of the type with which the present invention are concerned are employed in the so-called wide bodied or jumbo commercial aircarft and because of their relatively large height to width ratio must be firmly latched in position upon the trailer platform to prevent sliding or tipping of the containers as the trailer train is towed to and from the aircraft. Typical latch assemblies employed for this purpose are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,689,106 and 3,868,083.
In order to perform its function, a latch employed in this environment must be capable of restraining the baggage container not only against horizontal sliding movement on the trailer platform, but must also restrain the container against vertical movement because the containers are susceptible to tilting as the baggage train is towed around corners. The containers are normally constructed with a horizontal flange which projects outwardly from the side of the container at the container bottom and in the usual case, the restraining latch is provided with a hook-shaped toe which is moved into overlying relationship with the container flange to provide the vertical restraint. It is frequently necessary to load or remove baggage from a container when the container is mounted upon the trailer. The container access door is constructed in a manner such that the lower surface of the door is flush with the top of the horizontal flange at the bottom of the container, and thus when the container latch is engaged, the toe portion of the latch which overlies the container flange prevents the container door from being opened. With latch assemblies such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,689,106 and 3,868,083, it is thus necessary to disengage the latch before the container door can be opened. Disengagement of the latch releases not only the vertical restraint upon the container, but also releases the lateral restraint so that the container is free to shift upon the platform while baggage is being loaded into it.
The present invention is especially directed to a latch arrangement in which the vertical restraint of the container may be released while lateral restraint of the container upon the trailer platform is maintained.